Improvement in book-supports



R. T. STODDARD.

Book-Support.

N .161,293 Pat entedMarch23J875.

THE GRAPHIC C0.PHUTOv-L|TH.39&41 PARK PLAGLNJ.

RICHARD T. STODDARD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT lN BCOK-SUPPCRTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 161,293, dated March 23, 1875 application filed February 19, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD '1. STODDARD, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improved Book-Supporter, or device for preserving books in their normal position upon the shelves of book-cases; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

1n the said drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation, Fig. 2 an end elevation, and Fig. 3 a central and longitudinal section, of a device constructed in accordance with my invention, the same being represented as affixed to the front of a shelf.

My invention consists in the improved device, having its parts constructed and arranged as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the said drawing, A denotes the body of the device, the same consisting of a rectangular block of wood or other suitable material, and having any desirable length, breadth, and thickness. B is a bent rectangular bar or plate, which is securely affixed to the lower portion of the part A, such plate being arranged underneath such lower part, in parallelism therewith, and at a distance therefrom a little greater than the thickness of any ordinary book-case shelf. 0 is another flat metallic bar or plate, which is disposed between the base of the body part A and the clamp-plate B, such plate 0 being also a clampplate, and having two cylindrical rods or arms, I) b, projecting at right angles from its upper face, and extending up into sockets formed in the lower part of the body A, as shown in Fig. 3. Each of the arms b has a wire spring, 0, coiled around it, such serving to force the plate 0 downward or toward the plate B.

Having described the construction of my invention, its operation is as follows: The books having been duly arranged upon a shelf of a book-case, the supporter is affixed upon one end of the shelf, which may be effected by forcing up the spring-plate G a distance equal to the thickness of the shelf, and next passing the plate B under the lower side of the shelf, and moving the same forward, until the front edge of the latter abuts against the vertical face of the plate. The protector thus arranged becomes clamped to the shelf, and held firmly in the position in which it may be set, whether the shelf be of greater or less thickness and by moving the supporter laterally, the books may be compacted to any desired degree.

What I claim as my invention, as an improved article of manufacture, is-

The improved book-supporter, consisting of body A, the fixed plate B, and spring-plate G, constructed, combined, and arranged, substantially in manner as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own invention I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RIOHD. T. STODDARD.

Witnesses F. P. HALE, F. O. HALE. 

